Wall and ceiling panels formed from various materials such as wood or metals such as aluminium, for example, are known in the art. Such panels may be, for example, square or rectangular in shape when installed and viewed from below (in the case of a ceiling panel) or from the front of the panel (in the case of a wall panel), or may instead be of a linear form. Linear panels have a length which is substantially greater than their width, the length generally being at least three times and more usually at least five times the width of the panel.
Carriers for mounting panels are known in the art. Where a ceiling is to be paneled, the carriers are attached to or are suspended from the structural ceiling or upper part of a wall adjacent to the structural ceiling. The ceiling panel is attached to the carrier, and is thereby mounted on the ceiling. In the case of a wall, the carriers are attached to or are spaced from the wall, and the wall panels are attached to the carriers.
The panels may be attached directly to the carriers, or alternatively a bracket may be attached to the carrier and the panel may be attached to the bracket. Brackets may advantageously be used where it is desirable that flexibility be provided with regard to where the panel is installed on the carrier.
DE7440299 discloses a bracket for mounting ceiling panels. FIG. 1 shows a prior art assembly including a carrier, a ceiling panel and a bracket in accordance with the teaching of DE7440299. A carrier 2 is provided with a bracket 1 having a base 5 and two flanges 8 which extend from the base 5. The bracket is placed over the carrier 2 at the desired position and is secured to the carrier with snap locks 4. The base 5 of the bracket 1 and the corresponding part of the carrier 2 are provided with holes 6, 7 which permit the bracket to be fixed to the carrier by aligning the holes 6 in the base of the bracket with the holes 7 in the carrier and then screwing the bracket and the carrier together. The flanges 8 of the bracket have cut-out portions for receiving the edges of a ceiling panel 3.
However, there are various limitations imposed by the arrangement taught in DE7440299. For example, depending on the method used to attach the carrier to the ceiling, the bracket may not able to be fitted at a location where the carrier is attached to the ceiling, thereby limiting the positions at which the panel may be fixed to the carrier. Additionally, the brackets either need to be positioned on the carrier prior to attaching the carrier to the ceiling or alternatively enough space needs to be provided around the carrier to permit the brackets to be attached to the carrier once the carrier has been attached to the ceiling. Furthermore, the brackets are not easily moveable once they have been screwed into position on the carrier.